I Became a Raid Boss

Pine’s raid party leaned more toward creating strategies rather than following existing ones.

It was a natural tendency.

The timing when Pine usually tackled a raid was often soon after its release, meaning it was typical for no guides to be available, let alone any raid parties that had managed to clear it.

Analyzing patterns and crafting strategies from scratch was much more difficult than simply following a pre-existing guide.

However, the thrill of blazing a trail was far more intense than simply walking in someone else’s footsteps.

“But this time, things will be a bit different.”

Pine spoke as he handed out the prepared materials.

“I’ll be honest. Our chances of success aren’t high.”

One day had already passed out of the short week allotted for the raid.

And there was still that annoyingly restrictive rule that allowed only one party to enter at a time, which severely limited their total number of attempts.

“So, we’ll be borrowing the strategies of the previous raid groups.”

Though Pine made it sound grand, it wasn’t particularly special.

Whenever word spread about how far a particular raid group had gone, it was common to look into how they overcame specific challenges.

Even so, Pine had a reason for emphasizing his approach.

“As you suggested, we won’t be mindlessly banging our heads against the wall. Got it?”

Time to open the textbooks.

Yuki pouted at Pine’s firm tone.

***

“…Let’s do this.”

Wipeout.

“Ahh! I’m going to die! Please heal me!”

“The healer is down!”

“What?! When?!”

“They couldn’t pass the mark, and it exploded!”

Another wipeout.

“Hey, keep the aggro under control!”

“How am I supposed to keep the aggro when I’m constantly using AoE heals?”

“We can’t just die from the DoT! …Oh.”

And another wipeout.

The ceiling that greeted them upon opening their eyes and the path leading back to the battlefield had become all too familiar.

As Pine staggered to his feet, he started to sort out his thoughts.

“What’s the problem here?”

The answer came to him immediately.

“Everything.”

There wasn’t even a need to pinpoint a specific issue.

But if he had to choose the most frustrating part, Pine could do so without hesitation.

The magi that ate away at their health as soon as they entered the barrier.

The magi that dealt more damage the closer they got to Canaria, complicating their attempts to handle other patterns.

Damage that normally wouldn’t be fatal turned deadly due to the sudden influx of DoT damage.

Trying to counter this by using large-scale healing skills recklessly only made it impossible to manage aggro and mana.

In the end, they had to walk the tightrope of healing just enough to keep everyone alive without drawing too much attention.

“Ugh…”

As could be seen from Lemonie, one of Pine’s raid party’s healers, this was far from an easy task.

Pine patted the shoulders of Lemonie, who looked pale and worn out.

“You chose to be a healer. Tough it out with all your might.”

“…I want to quit being a healer…”

“No, you can’t.”

“Whine…”

But not all the news was bad.

Pine’s biggest concern, Da-eun and Yuki, were surprisingly showing good results.

Yuki didn’t sync well with others, but she made up for it with her individual skills, so it didn’t cause any issues.

On the other hand, Da-eun’s individual skill was slightly lacking, but she put in the effort to cooperate with others.

Moreover, she had an advantage that Pine hadn’t anticipated—thanks to the Dragon Orb, she was less affected by the Magi.

“Joanie, how much did you say that was?”

“Huh? How much was what?”

“That… the magical tool you got from Canaria in Baltora.”

“Oh, this? I got it cheaper thanks to Canaria, but the original price was—”

Thinking about whether he should get one for himself, Pine quickly gave up after hearing Da-eun’s answer.

“How long do you think this party will last?”

Pine changed the subject.

“I bet 3 minutes.”

“Oh… that’s a cup of instant noodles. Then I’ll bet on 1 minute.”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh? They could last longer.”

“Then, Pine, you bet on over 5 minutes—”

“Two minutes. I’ll bet two minutes.”

“Ah, that’s no fun.”

Betting on how long the other party would last in the barrier was a great way to kill time.

By the way, so far, not a single party had lasted over five minutes, so betting on more than 5 minutes was seen as a long shot and a symbol of bravery among them. 𐍂ΑΝO͍ВƐꞩ

Though, it would be more accurate to call it recklessness since it had never succeeded.

When the timer had just crossed two minutes, the barrier’s entrance opened.

“Ah… if only they had lasted a bit longer. The noodles aren’t even cooked yet.”

“Raw noodles aren’t too bad.”

The group dusted off and stood up from where they had been sitting.

“No matter how short the trial time is, waiting is always boring.”

“If the special streamer Joanie steps in, wouldn’t you be able to enter without waiting?”

“…You’re joking, right?”

Da-eun couldn’t hide her exasperation as she shook her head.

“I’m not even a specialized Silia streamer, and I don’t have that kind of influence. Besides, because of the last incident, there’s a new controversy.”

“Controversy? Oh, the power abuse controversy.”

“…You knew and you still said that?”

“Oh, how could I possibly say that to a special streamer like Joanie? But a power abuse controversy? That’s a bit amusing.”

“Well… it was a demanding request.”

“Are you going to enter or not?”

Yuki, who had already been standing at the entrance, tapped her greatsword impatiently.

Not only Yuki but the people around them and those waiting behind them were sending sharp glares their way.

If Pine’s raid party delayed their entry, the others waiting for their turn would also be delayed.

Unless someone loved waiting or had a hobby of wasting time, this wouldn’t sit well with them.

As they entered the Boss Room, the Magi wrapped around their bodies, and their HP began to drop gradually.

In a typical raid, the Tank would pull the Boss, signaling the start of the battle.

In other words, as long as they didn’t enter the Boss’s detection range, the fight wouldn’t start unless they initiated it, giving them time to review important strategies before diving in.

“You know what to do, right? Healers, pay extra attention to the duration of your HoTs and the mark management.”

However, in the Canaria raid, the suffocating Magi started draining their health as soon as they entered, leaving no time for a relaxed chat.

Pine quickly spat out only the most critical instructions.

“Alright. This time, let’s try to last over 5 minutes.”

With a brief countdown over.

Pine’s raid party charged straight at the pink-haired girl who sat there blankly.

Pine had a fleeting thought.

If anyone else saw this scene, wouldn’t they think it was a brutal sight of eight grown adults ganging up on a frail young girl?

But even with that thought, Pine didn’t stop swinging his sword.

After all, isn’t there a saying that life seems like a comedy from afar but a tragedy up close?

That seemingly delicate girl was, in reality, a monster that had crushed numerous raid parties.

If you hesitate out of pity, all that awaits is death.

Pine steeled his resolve.

[You Died]

“….”

—hahahahahaha

—LOL

—???: “This time, let’s try to last over 5 minutes.”

—Did you learn your lesson, risk-takers? LOL

—My memories are gone…

—Where am I?? Who am I??

They were met with the familiar phrase.

It was just over 4 minutes since the battle began.

***

“This makes it six days now.”

A man in a hooded robe quietly stepped down.

No matter how quietly he descended, it was impossible for him to be completely invisible to the crowd gathered before the barrier, yet no one paid any attention to the man who suddenly appeared.

With a matter-of-fact air, the man walked forward and placed his hand on the barrier.

Voom!

“Oh dear.”

“What the…?”

“Did you hear something?”

The barrier shook violently, as if resisting the man’s touch.

“Even in this state, you’re still as troublesome as ever.”

The barrier, cast by the Sage of the Empire, had turned dark, reaching up high into the sky.

With this much of it consumed, it would be impossible to regain control.

The man thought that if he meddled further, the monster, sensing his mana, might break out of the barrier, so he withdrew his hand.

“I had hoped that seeing the Apostle you cherished so dearly might snap you out of it.”

His gaze turned to a woman.

She had sharp, upward-tilted eyes and couldn’t hide the gloom that surrounded her.

“I suppose I was wrong. Perhaps the bond wasn’t as deep as I thought, or maybe the prison holding you was just that unyielding.”

And he hadn’t achieved his other objective either.

“To think you couldn’t even handle a puppet dancing on a string.”

But that was alright.

This development was also one that the new god Edel had foreseen.

A hint of pity flashed across the man’s face, momentarily visible through the folds of his robe.

“I came all the way here just to say goodbye. Though you were my enemy, you were someone I could respect.”

How much better would it have been if you had been born in the Empire instead of Grasis?

The man had always regretted that and had made countless efforts to bring Canaria over to his side, but no amount of effort could quell the anger of a child who had lost their father.

“When morning comes, this barrier will completely collapse.”

Even if it doesn’t collapse, a barrier whose control has been lost will no longer be able to contain the monster.

And the Empire’s sharpest sword would meet the monster.

All the preparations for her were already complete.

All that remained was to wait for time to pass.

“Fighting against you was quite enjoyable.”

With those words, a surprisingly light farewell, the man turned away.

Step by step, he walked away, and before anyone realized it, his presence vanished entirely.

“…?”

“What? Is something wrong?”

“Just now… wasn’t there someone here?”

“Huh? No one’s here.”

“Is that so…?”

“You must be tired. Please, take a rest.”

It felt like someone was definitely there.

Da-eun tilted her head but obediently leaned back against the tree.

Maybe she was just too tired and seeing things, as they said.

‘…I’m so tired.’

Ignoring the flickering white afterimages, Da-eun gently closed her eyes.

***

Pine’s raid party ultimately failed to subdue the target.

The seventh sun rose.

The barrier that once stood tall, seemingly reaching the sky, had turned completely black.

Woooom—

The barrier, now tinged with a pitch-black hue instead of its former silver, emitted an ominous hum.

At the same time, it shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

Suddenly—

The barrier, which had seemed on the verge of collapsing, stopped as if by a miracle.

Had it managed to hold?

“…Whew.”

One of the onlookers let out a sigh of relief, almost unconsciously.

Ssshhhh—

Like sugar dissolving in water.

Like a sandcastle blown away by the wind.

The massive barrier slowly began to dissolve.

Even as everyone stood in awe at the surreal sight, the barrier melted away rapidly, shrinking to the size of a slightly tall fence in no time.

And finally, it disappeared without a trace.

The dense Magi trapped within the barrier surged forth like a storm.

“…Guh!”

“Ca-can’t… breathe!”

Those who were too close to the barrier clutched their throats in agony.

Those who realized the danger and quickly retreated survived, but those who didn’t were left lying cold and lifeless on the ground.

A tense silence hung over the battlefield.

Tap.

A soft footstep echoed.

Someone glanced in the direction of the sound and murmured unconsciously.

“…The Demon King.”

Between the thick, swirling Magi, a pair of pink eyes glowed serenely.

—

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